[0001] The invention relates to a press-fit connector, in which a pin-like contact element
is held in an insulating plastic body with projecting press-fit contact region on
the underside.
[0002] Multipole press-fit connectors, for example such connectors with 48 or 96 contact
pins arranged closely spaced in several rows in the manner of a matrix, which are
used to establish a plugable connection in predrilled and through-plated holes of
a printed circuit board, are known. As a single contact element, the so-called C-PRESS@
contact has become known in particular, this contact ensuring by its resiliently yielding
contact region good contact-making with substantially uniform bearing pressure over
the entire contact region of a contact hole.
[0003] However, a particular problem is the pressing-in of the part of the multipole connector
to be connected to the printed circuit board. This requires a comparatively high pressing-in
pressure on the part of the plug housing in which the contact elements are held. Since
the plug housings are generally made of plastic, without special precautionary measures
rupturing of the plastic part of the plug and/or deformations of the contact elements
occur.
[0004] Therefore, until now the pressing-in of such press-fit connectors has generally required
a tool which engages in the plug housing via an opening running parallel to the contact
element and presses on a press-in shoulder formed on the contact element and lying
inside the plug housing. The tool may also be shaped such that pressure is applied
at the same time to the upper surface of the insulating plug housing. If simply a
flat tool is provided for the pressing-in operation, it is essential that the metallic
contact elements contact the insulating plug body over sufficiently large areas in
order to be able to transfer the required forces. Such a large-area anchoring of the
contact element inside the insulating body is, however, at odds with the wish for
ever greater miniaturization of such connectors. In spite of the large-area anchoring
of the contact elements in the insulating body, rupturing of the plug housing, with
the consequence of corresponding projection not only of plug material but occasionally
also of (usually already loaded) circuit boards, occurs nevertheless.
[0005] The invention is consequently based on the object of improving a multipole press-fit
connector with pin-like contact elements in such a way that rupturing of the insulating
plug body during the pressing-in operation can be ruled out.
[0006] The invention provides that, for even force transfer of the pressing-in force onto
the contact element, at least one section of the contact element anchored in the plastic
body and running in the longitudinal direction is taken through as far as the upper
surface of the plastic body opposite the press-fit contact region and terminated preferably
flush with the upper surface of the plastic body.
[0007] The measure according to the invention of taking one or more longitudinally extending
sections of the contact element right through as far as the upper surface of the insulating
part of the plug housing, on which the pressing-in tool is brought to bear, provides
the advantage that pressing-in can now be performed with a simple flat type of pressing-in
tool, without there being the risk of rupturing the insulating body, because the pressing-in
force is transferred over a surface area and evenly.
[0008] The invention and advantageous details are explained in more detail below with reference
to the drawing. The single figure shows a single contact in an insulating body, i.e.
the plug housing holding a multiplicity of contact elements.
[0009] A pin-like contact element 2 is shaped in the example represented as a so-called
C-PRESS@ contact having a crescent-formed or C-formed press-in zone 4, which in the
longitudinal extent follows on from a lower conically running insertion region 8.
The contact element 2 is anchored in an insulating body 1 (represented diagrammatically
in the drawing) together with a multiplicity of contact elements of the same type
(not shown). In the upward vertical direction, the press-in zone 4 goes over into
two vertically running limbs 6, which are connected to each other at the rear by means
of a region 3. This region 3 bears the contact spring 5. As in the case of previously
known press-fit connectors of this type, there is formed in the insulating body 1
a shaft-like hole 9, into which the contact pin intended for contacting is inserted.
However, the particular shaping of the contact element and of the insulating housing
1 is of no significance in relation to the invention.
[0010] What is important, on the other hand, in relation to the invention is that sections
of the contact element running in the longitudinal direction, in the given example
the limbs 6, are taken through as far as the upper surface of the insulating body
1 and terminate at the surface (shown cross-hatched) flush (cross-sectional area 7)
with the upper surface of the insulating body 1.
[0011] This measure according to the invention of taking longitudinally extending sections
of the contact element through as far as the upper surface of the insulating body
provides the following important advantage for the pressing-in operation:
A flat pressing-in tool is used. The pressing-in force is now no longer transferred
from the insulating body 1 onto the anchoring regions of the respective contact element,
that is to say indirectly, but, by virtue of the flush cross-sectional areas 7, directly
onto the contact element. On account of the measure according to the invention, ruptures
and deformations of the insulating body 1 of the plug housing and deformations of
the individual contact elements during the pressing-in operation are avoided. In spite
of a simple flat pressing-in tool, the force transfer takes place directly from metal
to metal.
1. Press-fit connector, in which a pin-like contact element (2) is held in an insulating
plastic body (1) with projecting press-fit contact region (4) on the underside, wherein,
for force transfer of the pressing-in force onto the contact element (2), at least
one section (6) of the contact element (2) anchored in the plastic body and running
in the longitudinal direction is taken through as far as the upper surface of the
plastic body (1) opposite the press-fit contact region.
2. The press-fit connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the section (6) of the contact
element (2) taken through terminates flush with the upper surface of the plastic body
(1).
